Documentary Films

[Late]

Currently the only type of film I've been interested in is the documentary. There are so many fine documentaries out there — what are some that shouldn't be missed? Conversely, what might be skipped over? Some recent documentaries I've seen that come to mind and are worth recommending:

1. The Wild Parrots of Telegraph Hill

I actually saw this one in San Francisco — then got to see the parrots, and director (by chance), in person afterward. Nothing overly intellectual; just a simple, endearing film.

2. Theremin

I've seen this about four times now. Really a love story in the end, the film also gives a pretty good overview of Theremin's life.

3. My Architect

Architect Louis Kahn's son traces his father's dual life. Unusually engaging, and you don't have to be an architecture enthusiast.

I'm leaving out a ton, but thought you all might post some of your favorites with (hopefully) a micro-review.

[paul secor]

Haven't seen the other two, but My Architect is a truly fine film.

Not yet out on DVD, but should be fairly soon:

Wordplay - a documentary on crossword puzzle addicts of varying degrees - entertaining, fascinating, recommended.

[sal]

I'm a big fan of documentaries. There are so many that I've enjoyed. Here are three recent ones that I've seen and highly recommend:

Grizzly Man

The Fog of War

American Movie

[sal]

And without trying to get political, I thought "An Inconvenient Truth" was very well done and quite eye-opening.

[Late]

Paul just reminded me of two more of my favorite documentaries:

Word Wars

This one follows professional Scrabble players both at home and in tournament. I adore this film, and not simply because I love Scrabble — the characters are something else. And ... a poster here (Randy) is in the film!

Game Over

Gary Kasparov vs. IBM. Ostensibly about chess, but really about ... IBM crushing Kasparov's soul?

Both documentaries get a big thumbs-up from me.

And, yes, The Fog of War is excellent. Haven't seen the others listed (yet), but have especially been meaning to check out the Bukowski doc. I've heard mixed reviews about Grizzly Man, but will have to see for myself, even though I don't have a strong interest.

Edited September 6, 2006 by Late

[WD45]

I'm a big fan of documentaries. There are so many that I've enjoyed. Here are three recent ones that I've seen and highly recommend:

Grizzly Man

The Fog of War

American Movie

I thought The Fog of War was brilliant. McNamara is an engaging communicator.

Grizzly Man, to me, was okay. I liked the soundtrack documentary that followed [starring Richard Thompson] better.

[Elissa]

All Errol Morris films - Mr Death especially, though Vernon, Florida & Thin Blue Line essential as well.

Of course, the Maysles films - Grey Gardens and The Salesman chief among them.

Barbara Kopple's Harlan County and American Dream, though maybe her film about Tyson, Fallen Champ is my favorite. I liked Wild Man Blues too.

DA Pennebaker - Don't Look Back and The War Room.

Smartest Guys in the Room was purtty ferocious.

Edited September 6, 2006 by Elis

[paul secor]

Comic Book Confidential - mini portraits/interviews with R. Crumb, Harvey Pekar, Harvey Kurtzman, Will Eisner, Gilbert Shelton, Art Spiegelman, and many others

Crumb - A portrait of the artist/cartoonist and his family

Stone Reader - A man who loves a book that was published in 1972 seeks out the author, who has seemingly disappeared.

A couple of well know jazz documentaries: A Great Day in Harlem and Straight No Chaser

and a few lesser known jazz documentaries: Portrait of Pee Wee Russell; Ben Webster - Big Ben in Europe; and Rising Tones Cross - Charles Gayle, Billy Bang, Charles Tyler, Peter Kowald, William Parker, and others are featured

[7/4]

Crumb - A portrait of the artist/cartoonist and his family

That's insane! I love that one.

Gotta see the Bukowski doc. I just happend to be re-reading Factotum this afternoon, it's been 16 years.

[rostasi]

For Bukowski fans, there's The Bukowski Tapes

which is kind of a documentary:

4 hours long with 52 clips of him pretty much ranting.

I second the Theremin suggestion. A strange love story...

[7/4]

For Bukowski fans, there's The Bukowski Tapes

which is kind of a documentary:

4 hours long with 52 clips of him pretty much ranting.

I saw that on Amazon a couple weeks ago, I should pick it up.

[Johnny E]

For Bukowski fans, there's The Bukowski Tapes

which is kind of a documentary:

4 hours long with 52 clips of him pretty much ranting.

I saw that on Amazon a couple weeks ago, I should pick it up.

He gets all drunk in it (surprise, surprise) and kinda slovenly kicks his girlfriend in anger. Pretty crazy shit in there. If you are a fan of Bukowski it's a must see.

[dave9199]

Jandek On Corwood

We Jam Econo-haven't seen this yet, but I know I'll like it. It's about the band The Minutemen.

[Jim R]

On cable recently, I came across a canadian film from 2005 called "Djangomania". Pretty enlightening look at the guitar legend's current influence.

Sundance channel

Telefilm, Canada

Also, several months ago I watched two consecutive cable documentaries on PBS one evening. The first one was called "Heart Of The Sea", about an extraordinary Hawaiian woman who influenced thousands of people with her energy and lust for life (especially surfing) while battling breast cancer. The story itself is fairly remarkable, but it was the unbelievably stunning quality of the filmmaking that really knocked me out. If you come across it, don't miss it.

As soon as I finished watching "Heart Of The Sea", I watched a documentary called "One Cool Cat" about the life of Sammy Davis Jr. It was truly awful. I read this at Amazon, and I agree 100%:

This is a listless, plodding, dispassionately-narrated biography of the man who is very likely the greatest all-around entertainer ever. The on-camera commentary is provided not by people who knew Sammy personally, but by a couple of historians and a tap dancer who speak about his artistic achievements and significance from a dry, rather remote perspective. The A&E biography has all the information this one does, and more, and packages it in a much more compelling and comprehensive documentary. This was a great disappointment.

Talk about a stark contrast in the skill and art of making a documentary film.

Edited September 7, 2006 by Jim R

[BruceH]

Currently the only type of film I've been interested in is the documentary. There are so many fine documentaries out there — what are some that shouldn't be missed? Conversely, what might be skipped over? Some recent documentaries I've seen that come to mind and are worth recommending:

1. The Wild Parrots of Telegraph Hill

I actually saw this one in San Francisco — then got to see the parrots, and director (by chance), in person afterward. Nothing overly intellectual; just a simple, endearing film.

2. Theremin

I've seen this about four times now. Really a love story in the end, the film also gives a pretty good overview of Theremin's life.

3. My Architect

Architect Louis Kahn's son traces his father's dual life. Unusually engaging, and you don't have to be an architecture enthusiast.

I'm leaving out a ton, but thought you all might post some of your favorites with (hopefully) a micro-review.

My Architect is far and away my favorite of these three, in fact one of the best documentaries of the last few years for my money. Also enjoyed The Wild Parrots of Telegraph Hill, which, oddly enough, I also saw in San Francisco. (My kids liked it, too.) I also read the book, which fills in a lot of details which the film couldn't cover.

One of my favorite jazz documentaries of all time is Time Is All You've Got (think that's the title, if my brain is working properly.) It's about Artie Shaw.

I also recently rediscovered that Peter Watkins "You Are There"-style documentary about what would happen in England if a nuclear war broke out, The War Game. They actually showed this to us in high school, and ironically at that time it couldn't be seen in England. It was made for the BBC in the 60's and then the BBC refused to air it. For 30 years.

Also, loved Crumb. Very much liked The Fog of War too, but then I'm a big Errol Morris fan. Fast, Cheap, and Out of Control is probably my favorite Morris film. One of my friends contends that it's a bit too long, and he's got a point, but I still love it.

Also really liked those Thames Television/Brownlow documentaries about Chaplin and Keaton.

[sidewinder]

I also recently rediscovered that Peter Watkins "You Are There"-style documentary about what would happen in England if a nuclear war broke out, The War Game. They actually showed this to us in high school, and ironically at that time it couldn't be seen in England. It was made for the BBC in the 60's and then the BBC refused to air it. For 30 years.

Remember seeing that on TV the first time they broadcast it in UK around 1985-ish (although I'd seen it at a private viewing years earlier). Banned for many years for fear that it would provoke mass panic. The same film-maker also did a TV docu-drama version of 'Culloden' which was broadcast at time it was made and was similarly controversial over here for its sense of realism. Re-broadcasted recently by the BBC.

Always remember that scene in 'The War Game' where the police are shooting the looters lined up against a wall and the mass burials using quick-lime are being carried out. Too close to the truth if you ask me.. Apparently much of the detail was drawn from real experience from the Hamburg firestorms of WW2.

There's also an amazing French documentary about the early atomic bomb tests in the South Pacific. Anyone remember the title of that one - strangely, it is quite beautiful visually.

Edited September 8, 2006 by sidewinder

[Adam]

Hi,

One I highly recommend is

The Gleaners and I, by Agnes Varda - the best film of its year, IMHO

Koyanisqaatsi and Powaqaatsi - by Godfrey Reggio

If you are into exploration:

Touching the Void - from a couple of years ago

Deep Water - brand new - just saw it at Telluride, about British sailer Donald Crowhurst and his disappearance during the race in 1969 to be the first man to sail solo around-the-world

I'll list more soon. Docs are where all interesting filmmaking is happening these days. Well, a bit of hyperbole, but not much.

And of course all of my own documentaries , seen mostly on the History Channel, including:

Tomb Raiders - on archaeologcal site looting, black market, smuggling

In the Footsteps of Jesus - investigating holy land archaeological sites associated with Jesus

The Search for John the Baptist - investigating holy land archaeological sites associated with JtB, particularly a cave site

The Race for the Poles - Learning Channel - on the "races" to be the first men to the North & South Poles - Cook & Peary, Amundsen, Shackleton, and Scott

[paul secor]

Another documentary film I'd recommend is Gift of the Game - a group of American baseball players (including several ex-majorleaguers), led by Bill Lee and writer Randy Wayne White, journey to Cuba to meet the surviving members of a Cuban children's baseball team which had been founded by Ernest Hemingway in the days before the revolution.

[Late]

What did you guys think of Mayor of The Sunset Strip? I actually ended up liking it quite a bit. My wife's from L.A., and was a teen during the 80's, and she kept saying "Oh yeah, I remember that!"

Koyanisqaatsi and Powaqaatsi — Maybe I need to see them again, but I just felt wholly unmoved when I first saw them. I dunno, maybe it was Phillip Glass.

Adam, I think I've seen all your documentaries! Nicely done. We're fans of the History Channel here.

[Late]

Oh yeah, wanted to add another of my favorites: Richter: An Enigma. Tells the tale, with much archival footage, of Sviatislav Richter. Strongly recommended for classical piano enthusiasts. I need to see it again as a matter of fact.

[Quincy]

One you can get at Flicks & Picks (talking Eugene OR here ) though I think it's just on VHS (ask at the counter) is Diane Keaton's "Heaven." People describing what they think heaven is like interspersed with some unusual and amusing movie clips of what heaven is like.

[Late]

I've only seen it once, but that's a good one Quincy — thank goodness for Flicks! The last documentary I rented from them was (ahem) The Girl Next Door — about porn star Stacy Valentine. I didn't really know what to expect, but it's actually not a bad documentary. Sure, there's plenty of nudity, but its true focus seems to be the deterioration of trust as it's magnified under the lens of the adult entertainment industry — which should actually read: adult alienation industry. The documentary's not meant to be erotic in the least, and ends up revealing a fair amount of tragedy. Certainly not a "great" documentary, but engaging all the same, if only for its curious subject matter.

[Brownian Motion]

Why We Fight gives some historical perspective on the Military Industrial Complex, which, in case you hadn't noticed, has been heavily influencing the foreign policy of this country for more than half a century, through both democratic and republican administrations.

[Elissa]

Why We Fight gives some historical perspective on the Military Industrial Complex, which, in case you hadn't noticed, has been heavily influencing the foreign policy of this country for more than half a century, through both democratic and republican administrations.

Great one! Also Jarecki's Trials of Henry Kissinger.

Edited September 9, 2006 by Elis

[BruceH]

Oh yeah, wanted to add another of my favorites: Richter: An Enigma. Tells the tale, with much archival footage, of Sviatislav Richter. Strongly recommended for classical piano enthusiasts. I need to see it again as a matter of fact.

That one is great!!! I checked it out of the library so many times, I finally had to buy the damn thing.